Fibe escape



(No Model.) Hl IDOREN.

HRB ESG-APE.;

N. Parras. Pnnwumognpnar, wmingm. un

. UNITED: STATES "Parleur ZII'ENRY nounufou GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

-IFIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming vpart of LettersrPatent No. 292,548,1dated January 29, 1884,

v Application una A511127, laas. (Numdam To ctZZA wil/0m tm/tty concern:

, zen of the. United States, residing at Grand Beit known .that I, HENRYE. Dornen, aciti- Rapids, in the countyof Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFire-Escapes'; and I do declare the'following' to bea full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it aplpertains to make and use the same, reference beinghadto the accompanying drawings, `and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica# tion. y z

This invention-pertains to improvementsin hreescapes of that class wherein a rope or cable -is wound upon la shaft disposed within a receptacle or box,.said shaft having anopcrating handle or crank, and the rope or cable passed through a slot of theboX or receptacle; and it consists of means to aid the safe descent of the occupant thereof escaping from a burn# ing building, and to enable the descending person to maintain an upright position, or the re. ceptacle or platform upon which he is standing to conform to the' plane of the side ofthe building, with the rope or cable reaching out of the window at a different plane or angle to the building, and in other'improvements, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.V

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l`is a side view of my improvediire-escape. Fig. 2 is an end view -with the lid removed, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof.

In carrying into effect my invention, I em-v box A, said shaft having a crank or handle, c, l

affixed-thereto to allow its operation.

C is a cable or rope wound upon the shaft and passed up through a longitudinal slot, b, in the top of the receptacle A, said slot being arranged about in a vertical plane with hori- `hereinafter described.

zontal radii of the shaft, as the point bestV adapt ed to take or draw the rope or cable .off the shaft, with the ropeor cable wound in several layers or coilsthereon; Y

' D is the bail, consisting of two bent pieces of metal having one end journaled inthe bar D', secured to the ends of the receptacle'A, and having their upper ends bent as shown, with the upper or straight convergent ends of the pieces of the bail separated and'forming fusion., l ,f

bearings for a rock-shaft or collar, cf, disposed between said ends of the bail. This collar is secured to one of the rods of the bail by a thumb-nunc', so that the said bar may be readily released therefrom, for the purposes the bail is hinged at "x, as shown, so that it may turn down, but is practically rigid as to anyupward bending. r i

E is a sleeverigidly fixed in the collar c, and consequently adapted to partake ofthe movement of the latter, and to permit the rope or cable to'pass through it.

' Fis a pressure-brake, the same consisting of a lever pivoted at its upper end to the same end of the sleeve E, and having a projection or detent, d, extending through aslot or aperture in the said sleeve, and adapted to'bearV against the rope or cable, as seen in Fig. 3, while the lower arm of said lever is notched and embraced by a loop or bail, e, 4articulated to the sleeve E, whereby the speed of descent can be retarded and the person be enabled thus to descend with safety.

G is a hand-hold slipped upon the rope or cable, and resting upon the sleeve E, to provide a grasp or hold upon the rope or cable without causing the blistering or injuring of the hand, as would be the case were it applied directly to the rope or cable from frictional contact therewith.

. The rope or cable being adj usted to the window-sill or other convenient part of -the window-frame by means of the'hook f at-its upper end, it will be noticed that during the descent of the escaping person standing on the receptacle the rock-shaft or collar c will permit the sleeve and hand-hold to conform to the direction or angle of the rope or cable extending outobliquely to the plane or side of the One of the pieces of IOO building, while the receptacle or box will be allowed to adjust itselfto the pla-ne of the side of the house, whereby friction and difficulty in descending are lessened and the person permitted to maintain a perfectly-erect position. The cable or rope is passed through the door in the side of the receptacle to and wound upon the shaft by turning its crank or handle when it is first coiled thereon.

0n the side of the receptacle A which moves next the house I secure ihe casters or rollers II at each corner, so as to facilitate the ease of descent of the platform, the said roller passing readily over slight projections in the walls, such as window caps and sills. These rollers are also useful in conveying the device from place to place.

The lids I I are hinged on opposite ends of the receptacle A, and are provided with the curved bars I', which extend within the casing, as shown, and are formed with the stops I" on their lower ends, which prevent the lids from turning back beyond the vertical position shownin Figs. l andS. In the operation ofthe device, these lids maybe turned up as shown, and provide seats for the escaping persons, and when the escape is not in use the thumb-nut C may be removed, and one of the bars, D, being hinged as shown^ in Figs. l and 3, the said bar is laid fiat down on the box, in line with the length thereof, while the other bar, with the collar c and sleeve E, turns down diagonally across the receptacle, and the lids, when lowered, cover these parts, when by the hook 'i and eye i', or in other suitable manner, the escape has the appearance of an ordinary trunk, and may be carried from place to place by the user as a trunk, and will therefore be of particular and great advantage to commercial and other travelers.

l-Iaving thus described my invention,whatI claim, and desireto seeureby Letters Patent, 1s-

l. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the receptacle and rope or cable, of the sleeve and its collar or rock-shaft adapted to move independently of the bail of the receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a fireescape, the combination, with the ropeor cable sleeve, of the pressure-brake having a notched lever pivoted to the said sleeve and provided with a detent or projection passing through a slot or aperture in the sleeve, and the articulated bail or loop connected to the sleeve and embracing the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

rllhe fire-escape, substantially as described and shown, consisting of the receptacle A, the windlass B, having crank a, the rope or cable, the bail D, constructed as described, the collar c, sleeve E, hand'hold G, and the lids I, having curved brace-bars I', hinged to the opposite ends of the receptacle, and adapted to provide seats for the operators when turned up, and a cover for the box when turned down, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. DOREN.

signature in Xl'itnesses:

S. O. B. Knuf, PETER H. ELEvnLn. 

